


Pythagoras was a Fencer

by raven_aorla



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Gen, Subtext?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-28
Updated: 2010-03-28
Packaged: 2017-10-08 09:48:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/75422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raven_aorla/pseuds/raven_aorla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short, sweet ficlet about friendship (and maybe more, if that's what you like to see). Chekov learns how to handle a sabre.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pythagoras was a Fencer

The protective jacket is thick and unwieldy, his gloved hand shaking in the grip. Part of it is the strain of holding a lunge with sword extended, which Sulu has been making him do over and over so he can practice correct form. The other part of it is the excitement of something new.

"I am not sure I kin do zis," he mumbles.

"You're doing great, Pavel. Now redouble."

He lunges again without returning to en garde. Sulu clicks his tongue, his eyes having fallen upon Chekov's hand. "You're holding the sabre wrong. There are different ways to grip it: the English, the Russian…"

"Vell, the Russians inwented –"

"No, the French invented sabre fencing. Sorry."

The Russian sounds mildly miffed. "Ve can look it up later."

Sulu smiles and takes Chekov's hand in his, moving the guard on the hilt so it is aligned in the Russian way. "All right. Recover. Now show me your parry one…no, that's parry two…that's six…"

Chekov waves his sword in frustration. "Perhaps I should stick to my mazhematics."

"No way. Pythagoras was a fencer, you know."

"Really?"

Sulu draws his sword and demonstrates. "Parry three, parry four, parry five."

For a second Chekov doesn't get it, and then he sees how the parries make a right-angled triangle in midair.

Though it is a silly joke – or perhaps because it is a silly joke – the two friends laugh until Chekov can no longer hold his pose.

**Author's Note:**

> In case you have forgotten, the simplest right triangle conforming to the Pythagorean Theorem measures 3x4x5 of a given unit.
> 
> This is a tribute to the Fencing Club at my university, which has overlooked my athletic ineptness and become a boisterous, accepting, and delightfully geeky third extended family I suspect I will retain for the rest of my life. And who taught me the previous horrible joke. And who appreciate that my sabre is named Malcom Reynolds - he is frequently on the losing side but not convinced that it's the wrong one.
> 
> One of my fencing friends who read this asked me why Chekov is learning sabre first rather than foil, the standard beginner. Because in foil you don't use parry six! And I know next to nothing about eppee! =P!


End file.
